Hyde Park, NY – Have you ever wondered what dishes were on the menu of the first
public restaurant at The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in the early
1970s? Or what was served in its American Bounty Restaurant in the 1980s when the
CIA was changing the definition of American cuisine? If so,
you can now take a gastronomic tour of the dining history of the college—and
beyond—from anywhere in the world, thanks to a new online archive of restaurant
menus.

The Conrad N. Hilton Library at the CIA is sharing
selections from its menu collection through Hudson River Valley Heritage—a collaborative
project providing online access to materials from digital collections of colleges,
libraries, archives, historical societies, museums, and cultural organizations
in the Hudson Valley.

Hundreds of early menus from CIA restaurants and events are
now searchable by keyword. More are continuously being added, including
historical menus from around the world dating as far back as 1855. Menus can be
browsed or searched online at www.hrvh.org/cdm/landingpage/collection/cia.

"The CIA is an important part of the history of the Hudson
River Valley," says Eric Hinsdale, CIA director of library and information services.
"I'm happy to have our materials included in the project along with those of so
many of the region's other cultural organizations."

Housed in the Hilton library, this special collection of more
than 25,000 menus includes menus from CIA restaurants, along with gifts from
major menu collectors, including George Lang, Chapman S. Root, Vinnie Oakes,
and Roy Andries de Groot. Assembled over decades, the
collection illustrates the history of dining in America and abroad. Menus come from
all 50 states and more than 80 countries, as well as from ships, railroads, and
airlines.

The CIA Menu Collection is one of many digitized historic
collections that can be searched online at hrvh.org. These collections contain photos, postcards,
letters, diaries, newspapers, scrapbooks, manuscripts, memorabilia, maps,
ephemera, and even audio and video clips. The project is coordinated by the Southeastern
New York Library Resources Council. SENYLRC's mission is to support its members
in the Mid-Hudson Valley in enriching their services and enhancing access to
information for their users.

Photo Caption and Hi-Res Image

Cover page of the menu from a buffet of international cuisines
prepared by students of The Culinary Institute of America (then based in
New Haven, CT) on August 20, 1964 as a final project of one of their
classes.
(Courtesy: The Culinary Institute of America)

Founded in 1946, The Culinary Institute of America is an independent,
not-for-profit college offering associate and bachelor's degrees with majors in
culinary arts, baking and pastry arts, and culinary science, as well as
certificate programs in culinary arts and wine and beverage studies. As the
world's premier culinary college, the CIA provides thought leadership in the
areas of health & wellness, sustainability, and world cuisines &
cultures through research and conferences. The CIA has a network of 45,000
alumni that includes industry leaders such as Grant Achatz,
Anthony Bourdain, Roy Choi, Cat Cora, Dan Coudreaut, Steve Ells, Charlie Palmer, and Roy Yamaguchi. The CIA also offers courses for
professionals and enthusiasts, as well as consulting services in support of
innovation for the foodservice and hospitality industry. The college has
campuses in Hyde Park, NY; St. Helena, CA; San Antonio, TX; and Singapore.